Funeral Partners director secures £10k donation for GOSH
A fundraiser has received a call from a World Cup winner to announce that his charity football initiative had won a worldwide competition as well as a £10,000 donation.
Jamie Groves, regional development director at Funeral Partners, had co-organised two star-studded football matches in the last 18 months called Goals 4 GOSH, raising more than £60,000 for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.
Alongside fellow volunteer and co-organiser Charlotte Styles, his work was recognised in a contest run by Italian football club Como, who were looking for heroes in the community in their Cheers 4 Christmas campaign.
They have pledged to donate £10,000 to the charity and gifted Groves an iPad and a replica Como shirt.
Unbeknown to Groves, his wife Roxanne had nominated him and Goals 4 GOSH for the award. He only found out when he received a video call from current Como player, and former Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea star, Cesc Fabregas, announcing the good news.
Groves said: “My wife had set it all up – I had absolutely no idea. I got a video call from an Italian number and didn’t have a clue what was happening, but Roxanne knew and was filming me so they could put it on their Instagram. He was a really good guy, so humble, and seemed to know so much about what we had achieved.”
Over the last two summers, Goals 4 GOSH has been held at Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park stadium and featured football legends including Anton Ferdinand, Lianne Sanderson, Hollywood actor Tamer Hassan and Youtuber Young Filly.
The games have been put on with the support of Pinks Funeral Directors, A Yeatman and Sons Funeral Directors, Gillman Funeral Service and other Funeral Partners funeral homes in South London.
A third Goals 4 GOSH match is being planned for this summer, with details to be released soon. A Goals 4 GOSH squad has also recently taken part in a charity match at Worthing Football Club on 15 January, where funds were raised for Martlets Hospice in Sussex and Great Ormond Street Hospital children’s charity.
